Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Giovanni Neri 2018

James Suckling

Lovely ripe fruit on the nose, with cranberries, plums, morello cherries, white truffles, red tea and white pepper. The tannins are very fine, creamy and expansive. Coating and generous, yet fresh. Wonderful length and depth. From a 7-hectare parcel of 50-year old vines.

Intravino

Subtly rich colour, notes of orange and pomegranate, sand and rock underneath which explodes in a sublime perfumed mass, gloomy at times and rabidly wild in some situations, lavender, rosemary, olives in tapenade, juniper. Sinusoidal tannic rhythm that explores the whole range of expressiveness of the Sangiovese di Sesta 97

Sarah Heller, Master of Wine

The vineyard in Sesta, between Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Sant’Angelo, was acquired and renamed for Giovanni Neri by the estate in 2017. Its south-facing slopes are warm and sun-kissed. Already decades old, these vines lend a marked concentration to the wines. The warming, velvety nose is softer and more generous than any of the other single sites. The fruit is both rounded and undulating, shading towards raspberry. A luscious, pillowy entry is threaded with ribbons of acidity, the result of the temperate conditions in 2018. Tannins, though quite chewy, yield readily. Threads of white pepper enliven as this wine unfolds and unfolds.

DoctorWine

Decanter

Casanova di Neri’s newest Brunello hails from a 7ha plot purchased in 2017. In the slightly untamed area of Sesta, in Montalcino’s southeast, the vineyard boasts vines over 50 years of age. A superbly multifaceted wine, it expresses becoming scents of aromatic herbs and blood orange. Velvety layers of fleshy persimmon and ample pliable tannins are countered by citrussy acidity. There's a crunch of pomegranate as well as chocolatey depths of exotic carob. Plenty of verve and vibration here.

Vinous

I have long awaited the first rendition of the Giovanni Neri Brunello di Montalcino, and the 2018 does not dissapoint. Here I’m finding a beguiling mix of lavender, white pepper and crushed stone giving way to dried cherries and foreign spice. This washes across the palate with a supple wave of ripe red berries carried by vibrant acidity, as nuances of sour citrus and clove resonate throughout. Its tannins are crunchy, almost chiseled in feel, yet coupled with a staining of primary concentration that lingers under an air of violet inner florals, tapering off with tremendous length and structured for a long and balanced maturation. Made from vines that are 50 years old, the Giovanni Neri hails from a vineyard acquired in the southeast of Montalcino. This is a fabulous debut offering.